Assam Police Arrests 5 Meitei Students from Manipur in connection with gang rape of minor from Tripura

Assam Police have arrested five Meitei students from Manipur in connection with the alleged gang rape of a minor Tripuri girl. The arrests were made after the victim filed a complaint, and subsequent investigation led to the recovery of digital evidence.

Police sources said the incident took place earlier this month at a rented accommodation. The minor was allegedly lured under misleading circumstances before being assaulted. Investigators later recovered video recordings of the crime from the suspects’ mobile phones, which confirmed the involvement of multiple individuals.

The five accused were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to reports, the accused could be the same group of Meitei students from Assam Down Town University (ADTU) who earlier this year sparked outrage for allegedly desecrating the National Flag on Independence Day. Police have not yet confirmed this link.

Law enforcement officials stated that the case is being handled with urgency and assured that due process will be followed. They also appealed to the public not to share any video or sensitive content related to the case, warning that doing so would be a criminal offense.

Women’s rights groups in the region have condemned the incident and called for speedy justice to restore faith in law enforcement and ensure protection for vulnerable communities.

According to the victim's statement, a Meitei boy lives next to her in a rented room. On the night of the incident, he had invited some Meitei friends over for a party. When they arrived, they noticed the victim and asked her if she could lent them her charger.

Later that night, due to heavy rain, there was power cut. The victim went next door to ask for her charger back and land the boys invited her for a meal as a gesture of thanks. They reassured her that their girlfriends would also be joining them, which made her feel comfortable so, she agreed, telling them to knock on her door when the girls arrived.

Suddenly, one of the Meitei boys grabbed her hand and forcibly pulled her outside and locked the door, confining the others while isolating her. Aware that CCTV cameras were installed on their floor, she struggled to move into the camera's view, which indeed captured footage of the incident. Outside, the boy proposed to her, which she firmly refused. Despite his persistence, the others inside demanded that he unlock the door, which forced him to release her. The victim, disturbed and uncomfortable, told him she was going back to her room.

Later, the boys approached her again to apologize fervently and she eventually forgave them. Afterwards, the boys and their girlfriends went up to the roof and drank. After dinner, the victim returned to her room. One of the girls followed her there and soon after, two boys forced their way inside, claiming that the landlord had arrived and they needed to hide for some time. Frightened, she reluctantly agreed and told them they could wait for a while.

While the boys were inside, the victim took a sleeping pill she occasionally used for sleep. They noticed this and soon after, the boys assured her she could sleep while they wait in her living room. So, she went to her bedroom, locked her door and tried to rest.

Later, she was awoken by severe pain and discovered she was bleeding and one of the Meitei boys was lying on top of her, naked, attempting to record a video. When he realized she had regained consciousness, he fled. She then noticed that the lock on her door had been broken from the inside.

Terrified, she immediately called her brother for help. When her brother confronted the boy, asking if he had done anything to his sister. The boy confessed and in desperation, pleaded with them not to go to the police, claiming that his family was poor, his father was suffering from cancer and that they would compensate her financially. Initially, the victim believed only this boy had raped her.

However, after reporting the matter to the police and upon investigation of the suspects' phones, shocking evidence was uncovered, it was not just one boy, but all five of them had raped her. The phone records and videos revealed that they had taken turns raping her while recording the whole incident on their phones. The police confirmed the crime with valid proof and arrested them.

In another development, Assam Down Town University issued a notification declaring the suspension of the five students from regular academic and non-Academic activities of the university.

The university issued a notification informing that they receive a complain received regarding the involvement of alleged unlawful activities of the said five students

“Henceforth, they are suspended from attending regular classes and participating in all academic and non-academic activities representing Assam Down Town University with effect from 17 September 2025 until further order”

Necessary disciplinary action will be initiated against the concerned students on receipt of submission of charged sheet from the police administration the university notified.